Aberaeron: The Community and Seafaring, 1800-1900

The Reverend Alban Thomas Jones Gwynne’s successful attempt to obtain a Harbour Act for Aberaeron in 1807 was less a gesture of inspired investment than a calculated move based on the development of coastal trade during the eighteenth century. The only evidence we have beyond the eighteenth century strongly suggests that this trade was almost non-existent before 1660.

Part of an article from Ceredigion – Journal of the Cardiganshire Antiquarian Society, 1969 Vol VI No 2

The Shipping Companies

The Aberaeron Steam Navigation Co. Ltd. (founded in September 1863). Summary Statement Specifying the following particulars as required by Act.

• The office of the company is at No. 3, Quay Parade
• Managing Director J. H. Jones, 3 Bridge St.
• Amount of Capital £4,000
• No. of shares 400
• Amount of Calls received £3988.0.0
• Amount unpaid £12.0.0

Ships Built at Aberaeron

This list is based mainly on the Shipping Registers, 1824-1900, at H.M. Customs and Excise Office, Aberystwyth, and also on Lloyd’s Register of British and Foreign Shipping, 1882. A small number were obtained from other sources. The fifth column gives the name of the builder.

Types of ships/boats

• Sloop: A one-masted sailing boat with a mainsail and jib rigged fore and aft.
• Smack: A single-masted sailing boat used for coasting or fishing.
• Schooner: A sailing ship with two or more masts, typically with the foremast smaller than the mainmast .
• Brigantine: A two-masted sailing ship with a square-rigged foremast and a mainmast rigged fore and aft.
• Brig: A two-masted square-rigged ship, typically having an additional lower fore-and-aft sail on the gaff and a boom to the mainmast.
• Barquentine: A sailing ship similar to a barque but with only the foremast square-rigged and the remaining masts rigged fore and aft.
• Ketch: A two-masted, fore-and-aft rigged sailing boat with a mizzenmast stepped forward of the rudder and smaller than its foremast.

Aberaeron Ships by Year, Name, Type, Tons & Builder

The following were possibly built at Aberaeron:

N.B. This is a preliminary list; a great deal of patient research is necessary before we can obtain a definitive list of Aberaeron-built ships.

Tourism has replaced trade as the chief occupation of the harbour a few fishermen maintain the seafaring tradition. We should mourn not only the disappearance of the activity of the trade but also the loss of craft-the craft of the mariner and the shipbuilder.

By DAVID LEWIS JONES